Self-opening umbrella.



No. 680,66I. Patentgd Aug. I3, l90l.

C. J. HUNT.

SELF OPENING UMBRELLA.

(App1icat ion filed Tan. 18, 1901.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. HUNT, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOSEPH P.CLEAL, OF SAME PLACE.

SELF-OPENING UMBRELLA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,661, dated August13, 1901.

Application filed January 18, 1901. Serial No. 43,789. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES J. HUNT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dayton, county of Montgomery, and State of Ohio, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Self- OpeningUmbrellas, of which the following is a description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to the familiar class of self-opening umbrellaswhich are provided with variously arranged and connected springs tendingto open the umbrella, which springs are put under tension by the closingof it and the umbrella held in a closed position against the stress ofsuch springs by a suitable catchv adapted to be disengaged by the thumbof the hand holding the umbrella to permit the springs to open it.

My invention has for its object the production of an umbrella of thisclass which shall be simple in construction and efficient andsatisfactory in operation; and its novelty consists in the construction,arrangement, and combination of the several parts hereinafter set forth,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal middle section of theumbrella in closed position, and Fig. 2 a corresponding view in openposition.

The same letters of reference indicate corcontractile coiled spring E,whose lower end' is fixedly secured in said stick and to whose upper endis connected the lower end of a cord F, which passes thence upwardthrough the stick A to a point slightly below the collar, to which theinner ends of the ribs 'D are connected, thence outward through theopening in the stick and over a grooved sheave or pulley G, mounted in asuitable support G,

secured to the stick A, and thence downward and connected at its lowerend to the upper end of the sleeve or runner B.

Mounted upon the stick A in suitable position near its lower end is aspring-catch H, adapted to engage an annular shoulder a on the lower endof the sleeve B when the umbrella is in closed position, Fig. 1, whilemounted upon the sleeve 13 at its upper end is a second spring-catch 1,adapted to engage acollar b, secured in proper position upon the stickAto lock the umbrella in openposition.

Under the above described construction and arrangement of parts it willbe understood that when the sleeve B is slid downward upon the stick Ato close the umbrella the coiled spring E within said stick will bedistended and put under tension, the engagement of the spring-catch Hwith the annular shoulder (1 upon the lower end of the sleeve serving tohold the umbrella in closed position against the stress of said springtending to open it, and that upon disengaging the said catch from saidsleeve the spring will contract and through the medium of the cord Fdraw the sleeve B upward along the stick A until the upper end of thesleeve contacts with the collar 1), and thereby open the umbrella, thecatch I upon the sleeve automatically engaging said collar and lockingthe umbrella in open position. To cushion the contact between the upperend of the sleeve B and the collar b at such opening of the umbrella, Iinterpose around the stick A a rubber ring c, with which the upper endof the sleeve D directly contacts instead of striking the metal collar1).

To open the umbrella when in closed position, it is simply necessary topress the thumb upon the lower end of the spring-catch H, andtherebydisengage its upper hooked end from the shoulder a upon the sleeveB,Whereupon the spring E will at once open the umbrella, and the catch Hwill automatically-engage the collar and lock the umbrella in openposition, while to close the umbrella it is only necessary to disengagethe catch H by a pressure of the thumb upon its lower end and then drawthe sleeve B downward until the catch H reengages the annular shoulderupon its lower end.

I am aware that self-opening umbrellas are old and well known and thatthe springs for opening them have been located, arranged, and connectedwith the several moving parts in a great variety of ways; but I am notaware of any prior umbrella of this class which is opened by means of acontractile coiled spring inclosed .Within a tubular stick and havingits lower end fixedly secured therein and its upper end connected to acord pass ing upward through the stick and outward over a sheave orpulley and downward into connection with the sleeve or runner upon thestick, and I believe my umbrella embodying this feature presents asimpler and cheaper and more efficient and satisfactory constructionthan those heretofore employed.

Having thus fullydescribed my invention, I claim-- 1. In a self-openingumbrella, the combination, with the tubular stick A, sleeve or runner B,braces C and ribs D, of the coiled spring E located within the stick A,and having its lower end fixedly secured therein, and the cord Fconnected at one end to the upper end of said spring within the stick Aand passing thence upwardly through the stick and outwardly over thesheave G and thence downwardly and having its lower end con nected tothe sleeve or runner B, substantially as described.

2. In a self-opening umbrella, the combination, with the tubular stick Aprovided near its lower end with a spring-catchH and near its upper endwith the collar b and above the latter with the support G carrying thesheave or pulley G, the sleeve or runner E upper end of the spring E andpassing thence upwardly through the stick A and outwardly over thesheave or pulley G and thence downwardly and having its lower endconnected to the sleeve B, substantially as described.

3. In a self-opening umbrella, the combination, with the tubular stick Aprovided near its lower end with the spring-catch H and near its upperend with the collar b and rubber cushioning-ring c and above said collarwith the support G carrying the sheave G, the sleeve or runner B slidingupon said stick A and provided at its lower end with the shoulder a andat its upper end with the spring-catch I adapted to cooperate with thecollar b, the braces O, and the ribs D, of the coiled contractile springlocated within the stick A and having its lower end secured therein,-and the cord F connected at one end to the upper end of said spring andpassing thence upwardly through said stick and outwardly over the sheaveG, and thence downwardly and having its lower end connected to thesleeve B, substantially as described.

CHARLES J. HUNT.

Witnesses:-

PEARL N. SIGLER, JOSEPH P. GLEAL.

